Looking to end a three-game skid, the Blinn College men’s basketball team turned to its bench.
Freshman wing Anthony Isaac made just his second start of season and scored 15 points to go with 10 rebounds, and sophomore forward Kelvin Tamakloe paced the Bucs with 16 points in a reserve role as the Buccaneers pulled away from Paris Junior College for a 74-58 Region XIV victory Wednesday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
“Paris is a good team that is extremely well-coached, and they came in here on a five-game winning streak,” Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. “Our games came out and really played well. We guarded and really played well after losing three tough matchups where some things just didn’t go our way. We cleaned up some mistakes and came out and played very, very well.”
Schumacher added that the addition of Isaac to the starting lineup and Tamakloe’s extended playing time was an attempt to shake things up in hopes of knocking loose a win.
“Any time things aren’t going right, you’re going to tweak things and move pieces around to rediscover that winning formula,” Schumacher continued. “Anthony stepped up for us in a big way, and Kelvin played great defense for us and scored a bunch of points We were proud of both of those guys.”
Blinn (12-5, 4-3 Region XIV) led just 38-33 heading into halftime, but found some breathing room in the form of a 15-2 run that opened the second half. After freshman guard Reese Miller sparked the run with a jumper, sophomore guard Jadin Johnson capped the burst with a jumper of his own to make it a 53-35 ballgame with 11:48 remaining.
After two free throws from the Dragons, Isaac got the Bucs rolling again with a layup, Tamakloe followed with a free throw, and Isaac added four straight points on two more easy buckets in the paint.
“We were on a losing streak, so we needed to get back to how we move the ball around and run our offense,” Isaac said. “It also came down to every guy being ready when their number was called, whether that was me or Kelvin or Nick (Folk). We have to be able to step up to the plate in a big game and deliver. Now we just to keep on going and look to win out from here.”
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore forward Kelvin Tamakloe puts up a shot during a game against Paris Junior College on Jan. 17, 2024)
Following Tamakloe and Isaac on the scoresheet were sophomore guard Masiah Gilyard with nine points, sophomore guard Patrick Neal Jr. and sophomore forward Jamine Charles with eight apiece, and Johnson and Miller with seven each.
“It’s all about staying ready for when your number is called,” Tamakloe said. “I’m a part of a team, so it’s about cheering on my teammates when they’re on the floor while also staying ready to contribute when the chance comes. This was a must-win game for us — which is how we all felt — and that’s how we attacked the game with how we all contributed.”
Blinn’s season continues with a non-region home bout against the Houston Gladiators at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Kruse Center.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
